Maybe "betrayed" was a strong term. I understand that in some ways it was worse before and also elsewhere but when taken as a whole, the American medical system and its hubris definitely did the people a disservice.

Does anyone think that the food companies actually believed that sugar and starch mixed with water was better than mothers milk? No, they knew it was a lie from the outset. Just the same way that the tobacco companies knew that smoking causes cancer yet they fought to keep that info under wraps.